Science Bulletin Articles

Building resiliency of smallholder farmers in upland farming communities in Isabela Province, Philippines
Keywords:

Agroforestry · Community resilience · Shocks · Smallholder farmer · Upland community

Building resiliency of smallholder farmers in upland farming communities in Isabela Province, Philippines

Smallholder upland farmers in the Philippines’ marginal hilly areas, particularly those practising continuous corn monocropping, are among the most vulnerable groups to climate shocks, including typhoons, drought and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Sound science-based response strategies and measures, such as agro- forestry systems, are imperative to build the resilience of vulnerable smallholder upland farming communities....

Ocampo, M.T.N.P., Garcia, J.N.M., Landicho, L.D., Cabahug, R.E.D., Barcellano, E.V., & Urmeneta, A.J.S. (2025). Building resiliency of smallholder farmers in upland farming communities in Isabela Province, Philippines. APN Science Bulletin, 15(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2025.2877

Comparing flood risk drivers and adaptation responses in Indonesia and the Philippines
Keywords:

Disaster · Exposure · Flooding · Vulnerability

Comparing flood risk drivers and adaptation responses in Indonesia and the Philippines

The drivers of flood risk are increasingly complex, intertwined and local. International comparative analysis of these local socio-environmental systems has the potential to strengthen governance mechanisms of flood risk. This research presents two case studies from Indonesia and the Philippines, showing distinct patterns of flood risk shifts. We show how what appear to be disparate...

Opdyke, A., Meilianda, E., Alfian, D., Santiago, J., E. Mendoza, J., Delmendo, P.A., ... A. Lagmay, A.M.F. (2025). Comparing flood risk drivers and adaptation responses in Indonesia and the Philippines. APN Science Bulletin, 15(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2025.2885

Fronts converging microplastics in the Asia-Pacific river plumes
Keywords:

Estuary · Front · Microplastics · Plastic · Plume · River

Fronts converging microplastics in the Asia-Pacific river plumes

Convergent surface fronts are a common feature in river plumes, where they gather suspended materials and biota, playing an important role in the estuarine ecological processes. Yet, systematic observations of microplastics in plume fronts have been limited despite rivers being major conduits of plastic waste entering the global ocean. By collecting samples in front, plume...

Zhao, S., Amin, R.M., Wang, T., Paramasivan, T., Xu, D., & Chen, Z. (2025). Fronts converging microplastics in the Asia-Pacific river plumes. APN Science Bulletin, 15(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2025.2878

An orienting framework of municipal enablers in urban river governance
Keywords:

Enablers · Integrated water resource management · Local government · Multilevel governance · Urban river · Water governance

An orienting framework of municipal enablers in urban river governance

Urban river governance is a serious challenge that affects the management and maintenance of human and ecological health under the pressures of urbanisation and climate change. Research has examined river governance in terms of complex processes requiring multi-level coordination at a basin scale. The integrated principle of water management has been promoted through basin-wide governance...

Novalia, W., & Suwarso, R. (2025). An orienting framework of municipal enablers in urban river governance. APN Science Bulletin, 15(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2025.2830

Integrated assessment of existing practices and development of pathways for the effective integration of nature-based water treatment in urban areas
Keywords:

Assessment framework · Constructed floating wetlands · Constructed wetlands · Ecosystem · Green roof systems · Nature-based solutions

Integrated assessment of existing practices and development of pathways for the effective integration of nature-based water treatment in urban areas

Water pollution poses a significant and escalating threat to urban environments, particularly in the rapidly expanding cities of Asia. Addressing this challenge requires implementing cost-effective solutions, and one such approach is the deployment of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to treat septic tank effluents, canals and lakes. This study represents a pivotal step in this direction by...

Jegatheesan, V., Velasco, P., Pachova, N., Diem Trangd, N.T., Bui, X., Mohammed Mowjood, M.I., ... Torrens, A. (2025). Integrated assessment of existing practices and development of pathways for the effective integration of nature-based water treatment in urban areas. APN Science Bulletin, 14(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2024.2792

Global warming impacts on marine diversity and key indicator species in East Asia
Keywords:

East Asia · Global warming · Marine biodiversity · Marine ecosystems · Poleward migration

Global warming impacts on marine diversity and key indicator species in East Asia

Marine ecosystems in the northwest Pacific are known for their high biodiversity, with many marine species, from tiny plankton to huge macroalgae. Marine biodiversity is affected by irreversible global warming, mainly the increase of greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic activities. For the past several decades, marine ecosystems in East Asia have been changing due to...

Subramaniamam, T., Jung, S., Sun, X., Kawakami, T., Vallejo, B.J., Orlova, T., ... Choi, K. (2025). Global warming impacts on marine diversity and key indicator species in East Asia. APN Science Bulletin, 14(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2024.2789

Blue carbon ecosystems in the Coral Triangle: A perceptive approach to climate adaptation
Keywords:

Blue carbon · Community perception · Indonesia · Mangroves · Philippines · Seagrass

Blue carbon ecosystems in the Coral Triangle: A perceptive approach to climate adaptation

This paper offers a comprehensive synthesis of nine research papers from the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) project titled “Enhancing Capacities of Local Stakeholders in Coral Triangle in Managing Blue Carbon Ecosystems for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.” These papers are organised into four key thematic areas: (1) assessing the status of mangrove degradation and...

Alsaaideh, B., Quevedo, J.M.D., Lukman, K.M., Uchiyama, Y., Sofue, Y., & Kohsaka, R. (2025). Blue carbon ecosystems in the Coral Triangle: A perceptive approach to climate adaptation. APN Science Bulletin, 14(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2024.2790

Understanding water security in a peri-urban region: A study from two South Asian countries
Keywords:

CONFLICT · COPING AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES · INSTITUTION AND GOVERNANCE · WATER METER · WATER USER ASSOCIATION · WATER USER COMMITTEE

Understanding water security in a peri-urban region: A study from two South Asian countries

Research on water security in peri-urban regions of South Asian countries remains limited. We employed the Problem and Solution Tree tool to analyse the factors that impact water security in this region, specifically Nepal and Bangladesh. Water security in the peri-urban region in Nepal is related to the quantity of water, i.e., availability and distribution...

Maharjan, M., Chhetri, S., Sinha, S., Sharma, A., Moula, M.M., Poudel, K., ... Nowreen, S. (2025). Understanding water security in a peri-urban region: A study from two South Asian countries. APN Science Bulletin, 15(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2025.3132

Village mobility and local resource utilisation are adaptation strategies in Nepal’s Koshi Floodplain
Keywords:

Community wisdom · Coping strategy · Disaster risk management · Disaster risk reduction · Local and traditional knowledge

Village mobility and local resource utilisation are adaptation strategies in Nepal’s Koshi Floodplain

Rivers have historically been vital to human civilisation, fostering growth and societal evolution. While there has been a shift in population elsewhere, rivers remain hubs of activity, with the advent of new technologies and infrastructure development to attenuate the risk of hazards. However, many traditional communities are still living in river floodplains that routinely face...

Paudel, P.K., Timilsina, R.R.C., Sinha, R., Parajuli, S., Abedin, M.A., Adhikari, B.R., ... Huntington, H.P. (2025). Village mobility and local resource utilisation are adaptation strategies in Nepal’s Koshi Floodplain. APN Science Bulletin, 15(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2025.3075

Sustaining livelihoods and building resilience: Policy implications for the Lower Mekong Basin
Keywords:

Livelihood · Lower Mekong Basin · Resilience · Tool framework

Sustaining livelihoods and building resilience: Policy implications for the Lower Mekong Basin

The diverse agricultural landscape in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) encompasses vulnerable smallholder farmers, whose livelihoods are exposed to the impacts of natural hazards, environmental degradation and climate change. This paper aims to understand the vulnerability and risk drivers to agricultural livelihoods in the LMB and the existing capacities, policies and strategies to strengthen livelihoods....

Pal, I., Baskota, A., Dhungana, G., Banerjee, S., Udmale, P., Gadhawe, M.A., ... Sophat, S. (2024). Sustaining livelihoods and building resilience: Policy implications for the Lower Mekong Basin. APN Science Bulletin, 14(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2024.2723